Penance Sequel to The Loser's Club
by Namjr
Summary: Alistair's mad, and Julain's back, how many Crane's can Harmony handle.
1. A Wedding and a Deal

~Penance~

** Okay guys, here it is the sequel. Obviously I'm going to have to change something, so from here out Drew is now Fox, you may remember that Drew was Ethan's half- brother, that was at last we looked in was making a play for Jessica. But we'll be as usual ignoring everything that James Reilly is doing, because he's about as annoying as Miguel, and we all know how I feel about him. (Sorry did I come off as bitter there?)

~~~

The wedding was really beautiful.

At least it was from his hiding place. The best part in his mind was when Sam Bennett tensed up; at the sight of his daughter walking done the aisle with Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald, and increased when he remembered that they're being there was because of him. All in all, he was quite please with the wedding of Luis to his sister, he even cried, although he would deny it to anyone until the day he died. 

Julian watched the bride and groom, run down the aisle, admit applause, and rice, and checked out the church. His father wouldn't have any cameras in the chapel, for some reason Alistair feared Father Lonigan, and refused to have any of his people set foot in the church, which worked as a plus for Julian.

" Sir, are you ready?" Godfrey asked from his place at the door. The large was simply too good to be true, an ex-football player turned man servant that Alistar had black balled out of the NFL, when he fumbled a pass costing the older man fifty dollar. He had a score to settle with the head of the family, and was quite willing to help Julian pull his father down. " The bride and groom are being approached now." 

~~~

" Ladies and Gentlemen. May I present for the first time ever Mr. And Mrs. Luis Michael Lopez-Fitzgerald." 

" They make an okay couple." Fox said, as he sat down beside his date." Are you sure…"

Jessica rolled her eyes, and glared at him." For the last time, I'm not related to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's, so we are not related in any way besides sharing Ethan as a half-brother." 

" No need to get loud, darling, I'm just trying to figure out some of this family connections. I mean come on doesn't it bother you that your brother John is out on a date with your cousin Charity." He said as he nodded to the couple seating a few tables away laughing.

" They're not on a date, Charity cam with John because she broke up with her boyfriend, and everyone else was going with someone."  Jessica moved her chair away from him. There were times when Fox was just too stuck up for words, and now was one of them." Can stop being a Crane, and just be Fox?" 

" Sorry." He murmured, and he was. When he was a Crane, he was obvious and condescending, and Jessica hated that, but she said she liked Fox, thought he was cute in an annoying way. " I'll try but you have to know that this is difficult, I mean this people are just at a reception to celebrate a wedding, they're not sucking up, or networking, no business deals are continent on the marriage, I find it very disconcerting." 

Jessica put down her drink and looked at he shock mixed with pity, as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek." Don't worry you'll get the hang of it eventually."

"That's sick." 

Kay followed her boyfriends gaze, and nodded, Fox and her sister was a little too gross even for her, but people found love in strange and unlikely places." You know that's probably what my Dad thinks when he sees us." 

" This isn't based on my feelings toward Jessica, although I think she could do better, it's based on…

" The fact that he's a Crane, and you're a Lopez-Fitzgerald and expect for those once in lifetime love matches like Sheridan and Luis, the two families can't stand each other." 

" Exactly." He nodded, and looked past her, searching the room. " Were is the happy couple?"

~~

" Mr. and Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, hello and congratulations." Paul walked up to the couple, and gave a brief bow." I'm sorry if this is an inopportune time, but I work for a friend of your mother, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, and they would like to extend their congratulations to you as well, but they have taken ill and are unable to leave the chapel."  

" A friend of my mothers." Sheridan moved closer to the stranger, it had been a long time since any of her mother's friends have been to see her, Alistar refused to accept calls from them shortly after her mothers death saying it was to painful." Of course, we come see them, right Luis?" 

" Sure." 

" Excellent follow me." Paul turned and made his way across the street toward the church, and opened the door leading them to the balcony." Right through that door." 

" Thank You." Luis as he pulled back he exuberant bride, and took the lead, wishing he brought his revolver, things were feeling strange.

" Hello?" 

" Hello." Julian stepped from the shadows, and watched as his sister grabbed Luis struggling to maintain her balance.

" JULIAN." 

" CRANE." Luis and Sheridan spoke at the same time, but Luis was the one to step toward his new brother-in-law, ready to strike.

" Sorry Sir, there will be no touching." Godfrey said as he stepped between the two man, with a strong warning hand on Luis is chest. 

" You're alive." 

" Yes as are you, but how long either of stay that way, remains to be seen." 

" Are you threatening us, Julian?" Luis asked he stepped up to meet Godfrey eye to eye; unfortunately he was about a foot too short to make it.

" No, but our Father is." Julian takes his seat and motions for his sister to take the other, when she does, he gives her a sincere smile." I want to apologize Sheridan, I haven't kept up my promise to our Mother, to look after you, but I'm here to do just that." " Our father, has become quite 'annoyed ' with us, and by 'us' I mean the entire town, he does have in his possession the mean to level Harmony, and all those that resident in it's town limits." 

" So, aren't you usually his partner in crime." Luis asked still glaring at Godfrey's shoulder.

" Yes, usually but we had a disagreement." 

" Over what?" She asked with disbelief, she didn't even know her brother could stand p to their father long enough to disagree.

"Well someone tried to kill me, and he decided to let them." " As you could guess, I got away, but I'm guessing he won't be that happy to see me, you see I've found that I can survive on my own, and a person who doesn't need Alistar Crane, is a person he doesn't want around." 

" Why are you telling us, we don't care that you're alive either, and we definitely don't trust you." 

" Now now Luis, shouldn't you allow your wife to make up her own mind." Julian looked at he sister, and lowered his voice." Your wedding was quite lovely." 

" Thank you Julian, but I'll need some proof that you're actually on our side." 

" Very good Sheridan, never trust a Crane." Julian laughed and motioned for his manservant, who in turned took out a file, and handed to Sheridan." Your wife is holding what you've wanted form the very beginning, the truth about your father."


	2. A letter to Pilar

~Penance Ch.2

I disclaim

~~~

Luis held the file in his hand tightening in one hand while doing the same to Sheridan's hand with the other. It was all there, a twenty-year-old mystery, which could be solved with the information in his hand, and yet it remained unopened. He couldn't do it, what if he was dead, what if he left willing, what if everything he remembered was a lye.

" What if he's alive?" 

He hadn't realized he question was out loud but he met her eyes, and knew he hadn't, she had just known." But then why isn't he with us?" 

" You won't know until you look inside." Find down the fear he opened it, and pulled out a weather old letter, addressed to his mother. 

May 1988 

_Dear Pilar, _

_                If you're reading this, I must be dead, I'd like to tell you not to worry that I was in a better place, but I'm not. I can't believe I'm writing this letter, not just it's contents, but also it's lateness. I should have told you sooner, I should have told you something, but I'm a coward, I always was and always will be. I want to beg for your forgiveness, but I know I don't' deserve it, so I merely write you to ease your mind. _

_It was raining, I shouldn't mention that, but it just sticks out in my mind. We got the call in the middle of the night form the main house. There was trouble too much for the one guard that was already on the house. So we called Martin to help us, he was meeting us there, because Carl and me were on the other side of property. _

_It was the biggest mistake of my life Martin arrived first and we followed minutes later Martin had already caught the guy.  He was a young, no more then twenty years old, with dark hair and an accent. He was screaming that he needed to speak to Mr.Alsitar, and we were a little shocked when Mr. Crane agreed. But Martin and I led him there, Martin was dismissed, but I stayed. _

_I never got the guys name; I think Mr. Alistar wanted it that way. The guy was a disgruntled employee that I later learned escaped form a holding cell hidden under the house. He said that he was trying to do Mr. Alistar a favor by not killing the kid. A Kid, that's what this was all about, some illegitimate kid that Julian had with some druggie, this guy was suppose to kill. _

_Alistar told him it was a bad idea to a favor, that wasn't asked. But he mostly just let the guy talk, he rambled on for about twenty minutes. It was like he was letting him dig a bigger whole for himself getting in deeper trouble. Finally Mr.Alsitar got bored, and told me to lead him to help me through the entryway. _

_When got back to the front hall of the mansion, Martin was tying to convince Ms.Sheridan to get up to bed. It seems she heard a noise and woke up someone to hold her. Martin had her on the bottom steps when it happens. Julian came in through the front door, he must have been out drinking because he was swaying back and fourth, and mumbling some woman's name. The stranger used this moment to make his move, he pushed me down, and took my service revolver, and ran for the door. _

_Alistar pulled his own gun, and the guy pointed it at Sheridan, threatening to kill her if we didn't let him leave. Alistar just laughed like he didn't even care, while Martin stepped in front of the girl. She must have been scared because she started to cry. The man began shaking, I could see he hand convulsing. I think it was a mistake, at least I think he didn't mean to, but his finger pulled the trigger, and all I saw was Martin falling. _

_                Before he even hit the ground, the stranger was running out the door. I didn't know what to do, my first instinct was to call the cops, but Mr. Alistar said we couldn't, he said he would fix it. He told Julian to put his sister to bed, while Carl and I carried Martin down to the rode garden, we buried there, in the spot he cleared for a gazebo, and spent the rest of the night building it. The next morning I was able to retire at thirty-three.  _

_                I'm sorry Pilar, after all the kindness you and Martin showed me, I should have returned the favor. I shouldn't have let you think for a moment that Martin had let any thing other then death separate him form his family. I wish you well Pilar, I hope your sons grow up to be just like their father, and that your family can recover from this, and I apologize form the deepest place in my heart for my part in it._

_                                                                                                                                                Sincerely,_

_                                                                                                                                                James Whitfield_

_                                                                                                                                                Head of Security, Crane Industries 1980-1984_

Luis folded the letter back up, and closed the file, letting his tears fall. He finally found his answers, there weren't the ones he wanted, he looked up and met his wife's eyes. " He's dead, my papa's dead." 

~~~

Antonio let his hand drift lower on his girlfriend's waist, as he leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. " Can we go now?" 

Kay looked at him amazed, before she shook her head, and moved his hand back above her waist. " No we can't leave your brother's wedding reception." 

" Why not, he did." 

She looked past him, and searched the room, and oddly enough he was right, the groom and bride were both missing. " That's not the point, you're the best man, people we look for you, more importantly my father will look for you." 

Antonio groaned and let his head fall on her shoulder. " You know I'm starting to think it was better when he didn't like me." 

" Oh don't go getting confident, he still doesn't like you." The couple stopped, dancing and turned toward Jessica, who gave a bright smile. " He's sitting with Coach Russell talking about convents to sent disobedient daughters, I think they're trying to get a group rate." 

" Jessica, you always bring me good news, have you noticed that?" 

" Calm down, Lopez-Fitzgerald, I'm only stopping to bug you while my date handles a 'family call', besides what kind of little sister would I be if I didn't try to scare you." 

~~~__

_" You're not there to network, with the town folk, Fox, you're on a mission."_

" I understand Grandfather." 

" Obviously not, because you're flirting with little tart, while your mother flits away my money, find what I need Fox, or I won't need you anymore." 

Fox gripped the phone tightly, barely controlling his anger, of course his grandfather would think Jessica was a tart, his opinion of women was lower then imaginable, but he was quickly crossing a line.  He was about to reply, when he spotted his mother, secluded in a corner with David Hastings. A sexist pig or not, his grandfather was right about one thing, Ivy was up to something. 


End file.
